Most sought after gift for over 65s is an iPad

The most sought after gift for over 65s this year is an iPad, tablet or laptop, according to research by care home provider Anchor.

Forty-three per cent of older people want an iPad, tablet or laptop, according to the survey.

However, older people look set to be disappointed as the most popular gift planned for older relatives or friends this year is chocolate or sweet treats (23 per cent).

Anchor’s chief executive Jane Ashcroft said: “We recently introduced iPads into our care homes and have had great feedback.

“Older people are still keen to keep up to date with technology and previous Anchor research has shown that buying older relatives mobile phones or setting them up on social media or Skype can help them to keep in touch. We recently used an iPad in one of our care homes to help a customer speak face-to-face to her brother in Australia for the first time in 25 years.

“It can be hard to buy for people who are older than you, but these results show that your grandparents’ wish-lists might not be all that different from your own.”

The survey also found that a third of people say they tend to stick to a safe pair of slippers when buying for older relatives and 17 per cent opt for potpourri or scented candles.

Only five per cent are planning on helping older relatives get tech savvy with computer lessons yet 46 per cent say using social media more often would help older people to feel less lonely.

While 14 per cent say they don’t buy presents for older relatives or friends at all.

Silver surfer, 82-year-old Joyce Sanders from Anchor’s Cranlea care home, revealed that “top of my list for Christmas is simply to have a stress-free year where everything goes according to plan. I’m a big fan of using technology to keep up to date with my interests so my own iPad wouldn’t go amiss either!” Anchor is a charity and England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care to older people.